5.) Injuries are beginning to add up:
At the heart of the matter, Aldo may not retain his belt because injuries are taking a toll on his body. He broke his foot in the fight against Jung, and he also suffered a painful bout with kidney stones shortly thereafter.
Aldo was recently re-hospitalized for the same ailment, and although he’s only 28 years old, it seems like a new malady is affecting each and every fight he signs on for.
A neck issue saw him withdraw from his previously scheduled rematch with Mendes at UFC 176, forcing the UFC to cancel the entire event. He’ll have to prove that he’s fully healed up from that injury (and whatever else is hindering him) in order to beat Mendes for a second time.
His weight cuts down to the featherweight division’s limit of 145 pounds are also notoriously brutal, and he’s long been rumored to be moving up to 155 pounds. With so many elite contenders lining up at featherweight, there’s still much work to be done, and Aldo is reportedly staying at featherweight to continue ruling over the division for a long time to come.
That’s his plan, however. Unfortunately for Aldo, his reign could come to an end very soon.
